An Australian man has been charged with developing and selling the remote access trojan Imminent Monitor, which is used to spy on victims' devices remotely.
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A remote access trojan is a type of malware that allows complete remote access to an infected device, including the ability to execute commands, log keystrokes, steal files and data, install additional software, take screenshots, and even record video from the device.
These types of malware are well-known to hackers due to their cheap price and the unrestricted access they provide to infected devices. However, they are also popular with domestic abusers who use to spy on victims .
Yesterday, the Australian Federal Police (AFP) announced that it had charged a 24-year-old Australian man with developing and selling the Imminent Monitor (IM5) software.
AFP claims the man sold the software to more than 14,500 people in 128 countries.
Since the operation in 2013, law enforcement authorities say the developer earned $300,000 to $400,000, which used to pay for food deliveries and purchase “other consumables.”
The Australian faces six charges with a maximum sentence of 20 years.
The Imminent Monitor feature began in 2013 when the developer (then 15 years old) began promoting the product on hacking forums and a dedicated website.
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The program was launched as a remote administration tool that could be purchased for just $25 with a lifetime license, which included customer support.
While the website promoted the product as a legitimate tool, the developer provided customer support and promoted the software under the alias “ShockWave”.
In April 2019, a member of a hacking forum warned that ShockWave had gone missing and was likely arrested, warning Imminent Monitor customers that they would likely face legal consequences for using the software.
See also: The US federal judicial system was hit by a sophisticated cyberattack
Seven months later, in November, Europol announced a global law enforcement operation that led to the seizure of more than 430 devices involved in the Imminent Monitor operation and the imminentmethods.net website used to promote the software.
As part of this operation, law enforcement authorities shut down the Imminent Monitor platform and arrested 13 of its most active users . Search warrants were also executed against the developer and an employee located in Belgium.
Information source: bleepingcomputer.com
